 |
 |
| 10.961 SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION AND RESEARCH |
| (International Collaborative Research and Scientific Exchanges, Scientific Cooperation Program). |
| FEDERAL AGENCY |
| FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE |
| AUTHORIZATION |
| National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as amended, 7 U.S.C. 3318 and 3291. |
| OBJECTIVES |
| To advance cooperation in areas of bilateral trade and market access, agriculture, animal and plant health, biotechnology, food safety and security, and sustainable natural resource management through long-term collaborative research worldwide and through short term scientific exchanges coordinated by USDA and the People's Republic of China's Ministry of Agriculture. |
| TYPES OF ASSISTANCE |
| Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements); Direct Payments for Specified Use. |
| USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS |
| Funds under the Scientific Cooperation Research Program may be used for direct costs of conducting approved activities, such as travel for scientific exchanges and research associates, supplies, and equipment for research projects. Funds may not be used to pay indirect costs, general communication, clerical and publication costs, tuition, expenses solely for conferences or sabbaticals, or salary for principal investigators. The Scientific Cooperation Exchange Program supports USDA's Scientific Technological Exchange Agreement with the People's Republic of China for visits of teams in which the receiving country covers all expenses for in-country travel and per diem for visiting teams. Under this agreement, teams with a maximum of 5 scientists are exchanged for up to 14 days per team. U.S. participants are responsible for their international airfare between the U.S. and China, as are Chinese teams coming to the United States. |
| Applicant Eligibility |
| Proposals are accepted from U.S. scientists affiliated with a college or university, a federal or state agency, or a private, nonprofit organization. Proposals are especially encouraged from scientists early in their career, women scientists, and scientists or institutions representing under- served and under-represented communities. U.S. institutions include those in American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. |
| Beneficiary Eligibility |
| Research and scientific exchange trade and market access, agriculture, animal and plant health, biotechnology, food safety and security, and sustainable natural resource management projects benefit both U.S. and cooperating countries' college and universities, federal and state agencies, and private and nonprofit organizations and their stakeholders. |
| Credentials/Documentation |
| This program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circulars A-21, Cost Principles for Educational Institutions, A-122, Cost Principles for Nonprofit Organizations, and A-87, Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments. |
| Preapplication Coordination |
| Requests for proposals are made through Grants.gov, a government-wide internet portal for federal funding, at: http://www.Grants.gov under Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA) 10.961 and the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service website at: http://www.fas.usda.gov/. This program is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs. |
| Application Procedure |
| Program guidelines with detailed application procedures are available on the internet through the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service website at: http://www.fas.usda.gov/icd/grants/scrp.htm or through Grants.gov, a government-wide internet portal for federal funding, at: http://www.Grants.gov under Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA) 10.961. Guidelines are also available directly from the Foreign Agricultural Service's Research and Scientific Exchanges Division, USDA/FAS/ICD/RSED/SCEP, Mail Stop 1084, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-1084. Applications may be submitted either electronically or as printed copies by mail or hand delivery by the proposal deadline. Any changes to the deadline or guidelines will be accessible on the internet through http://www.Grants.gov under CFDA Number 10.961 or the Foreign Agricultural Service Web site at: http://www.fas.usda.gov/. This program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and Other Non-Profit Organizations and OMB Circular No. A-102, Grants and Cooperative Agreements with State and Local Governments. |
| Award Procedure |
| Program staff members review and evaluate all proposals with the assistance and advice of qualified U.S. scientists. Proposals are selected according to how well they meet criteria that includes scientific or technical merit of the proposed activity; suitability of the investigators and institutions; feasibility of achieving proposal objectives; relevance to priority issues in U.S. trade and market access, agriculture, animal and plant health, biotechnology, food safety and security, and sustainable natural resource management. Proposals are funded to the extent permitted by available funds. |
| Deadlines |
| Deadlines are announced with the Request for Proposals. Any changes to the deadline or guidelines will be accessible on the internet through http://www.Grants.gov under CFDA Number 10.961 or the Foreign Agricultural Service Web site at: http://www.fas.usda.gov/. |
| Range of Approval/Disapproval Time |
| Award and decline letters are expected to be sent to the U.S. Principal Investigators within 60 to 150 days. |
| Appeals |
| None. |
| Renewals |
| Extensions may be authorized. |
| Formula and Matching Requirements |
| The Scientific Cooperation Exchange Program with the People's Republic of China operates under a receiving side pays arrangement with the People's Republic of China. U.S. program participants, however, are responsible for their international airfare. For long-term collaborative research projects under the Scientific Cooperation Research Program, participating U.S. institutions are expected to share a portion of project costs or arrange supplemental funding from other sources. These programs have no statutory formula or matching requirements. |
| Length and Time Phasing of Assistance |
| Short-term exchange visits with the People's Republic of China are limited to 2 to 4 weeks. Long-term research project agreements range from 1 to 3 years, with funds provided annually. |
| Reports |
| Short-term exchange visits require trip reports. Long-term research projects require technical annual progress and final research reports. Financial reports are also required. |
| Audits |
| In accordance with the provisions of 7 CFR Part 3052, which implement OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations, nonfederal entities that receive financial assistance of $500,000 or more in a year in Federal awards will have a single or program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 7 CFR 3052. |
| Records |
| Records must be maintained for not less than 3 years after completion or termination of the agreement. |
| Account Identification |
| 12-3200-0-1-352. |
| Obligations |
| (Cooperative Agreements and Direct Payments) FY 07 $830,000; FY 08 est not available; and FY 09 est not reported. |
| Range and Average of Financial Assistance |
| $5,000 to $45,000. Average: $20,000. |
| PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
| The global Scientific Cooperation Research Program, reflecting USDA and Foreign Agricultural Service priorities, has assisted U.S. scientists cooperating in 356 projects with partners in 85 countries to find innovative ways to help solve marketing and trade, food security, sustainable agriculture, and natural resource management problems of mutual interest since 1982. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Ministry of Agriculture of China for 27 years have worked under the umbrella of the U.S.-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement. Jointly, we have advanced cooperation in areas that include food safety and security, agriculture, animal and plant health, bilateral trade and market access, biotechnology, and sustainable natural resource management. More than 1,700 American and Chinese scientists have not only exchanged technical knowledge, but built relationships that have helped foster political and economic collaboration, including trade. Each year, an equal number of teams are selected from each country to initiate linkages for long-term collaboration in the other country. l and subtropical climates where babesiosis is endemic. Without vaccination in some form, life expectancy of exported cattle is one to three months. New Mexico State University, an Hispanic Serving Institution, collaborated with Mexican scientists on research assessing the impact of insecticide use on target and non-target natural enemies of cotton. Iowa State University researchers are working with extension workers to implement results of collaborative research with New Zealand to reduce the use of stored feed through grazing corn crop residues which could save cattle producers in Iowa alone over $140 million each year. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service and Agricultural Research Service continues collaborative research in Mongolia to collect forage germplasm for preservation and use in the U.S. Similar research in China led to the participation of American Indian Tribal Colleges in Montana in a scientific exchange with China which emphasized the use of indigenous and traditional plants in restoration ecology. The University of California teamed with Korea's Rural Economic Institute to identify likely effects of the reductions in trade barriers to US agricultural exports of high value products such as beef, citrus, almonds and walnuts to Korea. |
| REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE |
| 7 CFR Parts 3015, 3016, and 3019. |
| Regional or Local Office |
| None. |
| Headquarters Office |
| Susan J. Owens, Director, USDA/FAS/International Cooperation and Development, Research and Scientific Exchanges Division, Washington DC 20250-1084. Telephone: (202) 690-4872. |
| Web Site Address |
| http://www.fas.usda.gov/icd/grants/scrp.htm |
| RELATED PROGRAMS |
| None. |
| EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS |
| In fiscal years 2004 and 2005, 70 percent of the scientific exchange teams under the Scientific Cooperation Exchange Program with the People's Republic of China (SCEP) addressed critical agricultural market and trade-related concerns of both countries. Teams addressed food safety, the development and application of biotechnology, product development, and sanitary and phytosanitary issues. Priorities of other exchange teams included environmental and food security problems. The 22 scientific exchanges of mutual importance selected for 2006 include food safety, animal disease eradication and control, and agricultural policy. Projects under the worldwide Scientific Cooperation Research Program collaborate with a diverse group of U.S. institutions building long-lasting international research partnerships that remove technical trade barriers to agricultural, forest, and fish products. Trade-related research projects include the safe and appropriate use of biotechnology, and address the sanitary and phytosanitary issues of food safety and animal and plant health such as avian influenza, foot and mouth disease, and soybean rust. They also develop new and improved agricultural products such as biofuels and more nutritious foods. and other products using biotechnology. Researchers are introducing into legumes drought tolerance traits to help reduce aflatoxin contamination, aid in water management and reduce irrigation costs. |
| CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS |
| Within the guidelines established for the Scientific Cooperation and Research Program, proposals are evaluated on the overall scientific or technical merit of the proposed activity; suitability of the investigators and institutions; feasibility of achieving proposal objectives; relevance to priority issues in U.S. food, agriculture and the environment; and potential for furthering international cooperation. |
|
General Services Administration Office of Chief Acquisition Officer Regulatory and Federal Assistance Division (VIR) |
|